Collapsible ironing board



Dec 13 1949 G. H. HERDMAN vCOLLPSIBLE IRONING' BOARD 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 20, 1946 Im'entor v Go?" @Hrdmam Patented Dec. 13, 1949 UNITED STAT ES PAT ENT OFFICE 2,491,311 C'JLAP'SILE IRONI'G BOARD .George H. Heisman, Takoma. Park, D. C. pp'l'icationeptember 20, 1946, Serial N .698,203

2 Claims.

The .present invention relates to novel anu useful 'improvements in cula-risible vfurniture and more specifically pertains to a f'oldable 'ironing board.

vThe Apincil'ial objects of my invention reside in providing a folding table or 'ironing board having collapsible supporting legs vvwhich may securely support the 'article in the assembled po- "sition Yand maybe compactly arranged 'for 'sturage when `not 'in use: wherein a novel locking means is provided for retaining the parts in their assembled relation; wherein an improved bracing Varrangement is arranged for reinforcing the legs vof the device; and 'wherein generally a inore sturdy, 'economical Vand efficient folding ironing' board or `L`table lis provided.

These, together with various ancillary objects of the invention which will later become apparent as the following description proceeds, are realized by my device, one embodiment of which has been illustrated, by 'way of example only, in the accompanying 4vdrawings, wherein:

Figure l is a side elevational viewiof .the ironing board in assembled position;

Figure 2 is a 'rear elevational v'view of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan 'view of the :ironing board showing the legs .in 'their folde'd r'or 'collapsed position;

Figure 4 -is a detail .inside levatien of 'aportion of the device;

Figure 5 is a detail in transverse section, being taken substantially upon the line 5-5 of Figure 4; and,

Figure 6 is a further detail view in horizontal section, being taken substantially upon the lines 6-6 of Figure 1.

Reference is now made to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals indicate similar parts throughout the various views, and wherein the principals of this invention are shown applied to an ironing board having a top surface I0 of conventional shape and having on its underside as shown in Figure 3, a cleat I2 secured in any suitable manner thereto. A pair of supporting legs I4 and I6 are pivoted at the ends of the cleat as by means of pivot pins I8. These legs are reinforced in their opened position by a co1- lapsible leg assembly to be now set forth. A pair of adjusting links 20 and 22 are pivoted respectively to the legs I4 and I6 intermediate the ends of the latter by means of pivot pins 24 and 26 respectively. A bracket 28 of any suitable construction is secured centrally to the under surface of the board I0 and has pivoted thereto a third leg 30 whose opposite extremity is pivot- 2 ally connected to the louter extremities `of the adjusting links 2li and 22 and the third leg St is disposed there between and pivoted thereto as by a fastening means 32.

-A pair of adjusting links 134 Aand -36 are pivoted at their inner end-s upon the pivots '24 vand 26 aforementioned and at their outer -extremities are secured 'to a connecting Vmember l3-8 which as shown best in Figure 4 and 5 consists nof a guiding clamp slidably engaged upon :and embracing the third leg 30. Rivets Aoro't'1i'er similar means are employed to pivotally connect the adiusting links v34 and 3B to the connecting member 38, and as `shown fbest in Figure f4, the 'latter is limited in its upward sliding 'movement upon "the 'leg' '36 by 'means of Va screw 412 or other :suitable stop means. -In order to releasably retain "the connecting means 38 in vits raised Lposition upon the leg Lk313, .I provide a resilient latch means comprise ing a resilient member 4'4 secured irl-any suitable manner 'to a surface of "the leg 5e, and having an angularly disposed leg l `Iwhich when the member 44 is depressed, isadapted'tobe received in the recess 48 in the leg 30, twhereby the connecting slide `538 may -freely 'pass there vover fin.

order vto permit :collapsing `vof the leg assembly.

Attention Vis `now directed inni-'e -speciiically 'to the ksliovvili'g 0f Figures 2,13, and v61 llvhln fthe cleat "I2 has -semi-red `to "the re'ar -surlf'ace thereof, a pair .of .brackets '50 which 'have right singularly disposed legs extending rearwardly of the cleat I2. A pair of reinforcing links are provided for giving lateral stability or rigidity to the legs I4 and I6 and these links are provided with angularly disposed end portions 52 and 54 and have crossed arms 56 and 58, said end portions being pivoted upon the supports 50 as by means of rivets or the like 60. At their outer extremities, the reinforcing links are pivotally engaged upon the legs I4 and I6 intermediate their extremities as at 62.

From the foregoing, it is believed that the operation of my device will be readily understood. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, in its opened or assembled position, the table top for ironing board surface I0 is supported by the legs I4 and I6 and also by the lower ends of the members 2D, 22 and 30 which rest upon the ground or floor and which are centrally pivoted to the ironing board at 28. The elements 34 and 36 rigidly and releasably retain the parts in their assembled position by means of the fastening of the connecting member 38 between the stop means 42 and the releasable latch means 44. In order to release the leg fastening means, the user of the article may depress the releasable latch 44 from a position upon either side of the article which greatly increases the convenience of employing the device. Moreover, the depressing of the latch member 44 and the initial urging of the slide or clamp 38 downwardly upon the leg 30 may easily be performed with one hand and Without requiring the vision of the operator to perform. The third point of support of the article upon the floor is formed by the lower connected end of the members 20, 22 and 3B, and as shown in Figure 3, the members 26 and 22 are slightly spaced at their lower ends thus giving a wider and therefore more stable supporting surface upon the oor. Lateral stability of the device is increased by the members 26 and 22 which from their point upon the floor diverge outwardly and are pivoted at opposite sides of the ironing board by the pivots 24 and 26. The steadying action of the leg assembly is therefore enhanced by this engagement at the lateral sides of the device. Moreover, the bracing links 34 and 36 are likewise engaged upon the legs lll and I6 by the same pivot means and at the lateral sides of the device and then converge inwardly to a single clamp or slide member. This arrangement imparts the maximum rigidity to the device while permitting ease of collapse and folding of the leg assembly.

At this point I desire to call attention to Figure 3, wherein it will be noted that the legs i4 and I6 in their folded position are not quite parallel to the sides of the board nor are they quite perpendicular to the cleat member l2 upon which they are pivoted. Instead, they are slightly angularly inclined, and are loosely carried by the pivot pin I3 for a purpose to be now set forth. It will be noted that the fulcrurn of the leg reinforcing braces 56 and 58 is disposed longitudinally rearwardly in spaced relation to the axes of pivoting of the legs I4 and I6, and as these links 56 and 58 are crossed to engage oppositely journaled legs, their pivotal movement about their fulcrums cause a relative spreading of the lower ends of the legs I4 and I6 until the latter assumes a laterally displaced position such as that shown in Figure 2 when the device is assembled. By this mounting of the reinforcing links 56 and 58, I am thereby enabled to eect a very wide leg base upon the floor, while producing a more compact arrangement for folding and storing the device.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a folding table having a top and a collapsible leg assembly pvotally mounted thereon, in combination, a pair of legs pivoted upon opposite sides of said top at one end thereof, a third leg pivoted at one end centrally of said top, a pair of brace links each pivoted at one end intermediate one of said pair of legs and each pivoted inwardly from its other end upon opposite sides of the other end of said third leg and a pair of adjusting links pivoted at one end thereof to said intermediate pivots of said pair of legs and connecting means for slidably securing the other ends of said adjusting links upon said third leg and latch means for holding said connecting means in assembled position and a bracing means for said pair of legs including a pair of supports secured to opposite sides of said top and spaced longitudinally of said top from the pivotal axes of said pair of legs, and a pair of reinforcing links each journaled upon one 0f said supports and upon one of said pair of legs upon the opposite side of the top.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein said connecting means comprises a tubular member pvotally secured to the other ends of Said adjusting links and slidingly embracing the third leg, said latch means comprising a resilient member secured to said third leg, an angularly inclined leg on said resilient member engaging said tubular member and a recess bore in said third leg for receiving said inclined leg when said resilient member is depressed to permit passage of said tubular member thereover when folding said leg assembly.

GEORGE H. HERDMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,627,556 Gilbert May 10, 1927 1,976,422 Van Seyle et al n Oct. 9, 1934 2,064,859 Sadenwater Dec. 22, 1936 

